If you are a movie buff but can’t spare 2 or 3 hours for a movie, then short films are for you. Crisp, dramatic and high on entertainment, here are 7 quality short films that you can watch on YouTube:

1. Devi (2020)

This short film got everyone talking when it first released in 2020. Women from different socio-economic backgrounds come together to share their stories of abuse. The hair-raising end will leave you thinking about the film long after it is over. Directed by Priyanka Banerjee, Devi stars Kajol, Shruti Hassan and Neha Dhupia among others.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KP0aDTVtFI&t=3s

2. Juice (2017)

Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, this short film is about a hard-toiling housewife and her exhaustion from male entitlement, gender roles and patriarchy. It portrays a harsh but true reality of many households in India today. Shefali Shah delivers a powerful performance in this one.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Sk7fQGIjE&t=2s

3. Chutney (2016)

A middle-class housewife weaves a chilling tale to save her crumbling marriage. What starts as a sweet tale turns spicy in no time. This short film has an engaging story with strong performances by Tisca Chopra, Rasika Dugal and Adil Hussain.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0krwKbsQscw

4. Khujli (2017)

This short film explores the territory of sexuality at the age of 50. When Girdharilal finds pink handcuffs in his young son’s bedroom, he is enraged. But Roopmati, Girdharilal’s wife, reveals her own encounters with the taboo topic of sex. Directed by Sonam Nair, Khujli stars Jackie Shroff and Neena Gupta. Interestingly, Neena Gupta was cast in Badhaai Ho (2018) for a similar role after this short film went viral.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmRzflPuCjE

5. Lift (2017)

Shot entirely in a building lift, we see the different stages of falling in and out of love in the opening and closing of the lift. Directed by Ida Ali, this short film is simple and touching with great storytelling.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrU7K53gwQQ

6. Kheer (2017)

Kheer is a beautiful short film that touches upon issues of companionship, love and how they are defined through age. It explores how an irritated old man (played by Anupam Kher) and his granddaughter look at love differently and it does a good job of normalising the relation between age and having a desire for companionship.  

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Govd4E9YbQ

7. Chhuri (2017)

A wife finds out that her husband is cheating on her with another woman. How does the wife react? This short film turns a Pati, Patni aur Woh type story into an engaging and entertaining watch. Directed by Mansi Jain, Chhuri stars Tisca Chopra, Surveen Chawla and Anurag Kashyap.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDiwdQ8KvNU